Table 1.

Comparison of skin and gingiva wound healing

	Cutaneous Wound Healing	Gingival Wound Healing
Fibroblasts	↑Expression of ECM molecules α-SMA-positive Reduced migratory ability (103)	Fetal-like phenotype (108) Higher remodeling capacity (108) Increase migration ability (65) Higher proliferation rates (71)
Inflammation		Reduced inflammatory response (33)
ECM components (71)	↑Collagens, SLRPs, matricellular proteins ↑TGFβ1–3, Smad, α-SMA	↑Fibronectin ED-A ↓Elastin ↓Collagen I, III
Epithelial closure		Faster re-epithelialization (99)
Periostin Expression	Granulation tissue-proliferating phase (18, 21)	Granulation tissue-proliferating phase (54)
Periostin-null phenotype	Delayed wound closure	Not tested directly
Role of periostin during healing	Myofibroblast differentiation and contraction, via β1 integrin, Src and FAK (21)	Fibronectin synthesis via FAK/JNK signaling (55)

α-SMA, smooth muscle actin; ED-A, extradomain A-containing fibronection; FAK, focal adhesion kinase; SLRPs, small leucine-rich proteoglycans. ↑Higher/more; ↓less/reduced when compared with the other.